Where does “snøball” come from?

snøball (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Norwegian Nynorsk snø, from Old Norse snær, from Proto-Germanic snaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European snóygʷʰos, from Proto-Indo-European sneygʷʰ- — to snow.

snøball (Norwegian Nynorsk): a snowball

Definitions

  1. a snowball

Ancestry of “snøball”, step by step

snøball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Nynorsk snø

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorsksnøsnow; to snow
2Old Norsesnærsnow
3Proto-Germanicsnaiwazsnow
4Proto-Indo-Europeansnóygʷʰossnow
5Proto-Indo-Europeansneygʷʰ-to snow

via Norwegian Nynorsk ball

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorskballa ball; ball
2Frenchbaldance party, ball
3Late Latinballareto play, dance; to dance; present active...
4Ancient Greekβαλλίζωto dance, jump about
5Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “snøball”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sneygʷʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European snóygʷʰos →Every word from Proto-Germanic snaiwaz →